John McWilliams leads Tuscumbia Walking Tours
SHEFFIELD and TUSCUMBIA-The Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau is pleased to invite visitors and residents to take a stroll through the histories of Sheffield and Tuscumbia during a series of walking tours on Saturdays in April.
The free tours begin April 3 and continue on April 10, 17 and 24. Each of the tours will start at 10 a.m. The Tuscumbia tours begin outside Cold Water Bookstore, 101 W. Sixth St. The Sheffield tours begin at the Municipal Building, 600 N. Montgomery Ave. The tours will be led by local historians Jimmy Austin in Sheffield and John McWilliams in Tuscumbia.
Susann Hamlin, president and CEO of Colbert Tourism, said the tours provide an excellent opportunity to learn the histories about some of the oldest buildings and stories about the earliest residents of the towns. In addition, Saturday mornings in the spring are a wonderful time to explore Alabama. “April is one of the most beautiful times of the year to be outdoors as the early spring flowers are blooming and the weather is typically perfect for a morning walk.”
Both cities have hosted these annual Walking Tours for over a decade. They are a hit with the locals and visitors alike. The Colbert County Tourism Office has been sponsoring these tours since their inception when the Alabama Tourism Department initiated these state-wide tours.
Hamlin said Tuscumbia’s history predates Alabama becoming a state. Native Americans were living around what is now Spring Park when the first white family, the Dicksons, arrived around 1817. Alabama became a state in 1819.
Jimmy Austin To lead Sheffield Walking Tours
Sheffield was founded in the 1880s. However, a town known as York Bluff was located at what is now Sheffield before 1820. Among the property owners of York Bluff was Andrew Jackson, who would later become President of the United States, Hamlin said.
Jimmy Austin, who coordinates the Sheffield tours, said the April 3 and 17 walks will concentrate on the historic homes along Montgomery Avenue north of City Hall. The April 10 and 24 tours will focus on businesses along Montgomery Avenue south of City Hall.
The April walking tours are a part of an Alabama Tourism Department initiative and will take place throughout the state.
Hamlin said walking tour participants should wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather that day. For more information on the walking tours, please contact the Colbert County Tourism Office at (256) 383-0783.
Media Release/Susann Hamlin/President/C.E.O./Colbert County Tourism & Convention Bureau
